Presence of blood-sucking mesostigmatic mites in rodents and birds kept in pet stores in the Cracow area, Poland.

The aim of the study was to investigate the occurrence of zoonotic arthropod parasites in small animals sold in selected pet stores in the Cracow area. The research was conducted in seven pet stores, keeping a total of six species of rodents and three species of birds. In two shops, two species of mites of the order Mesostigmata were detected on the animals and in their surrounding: Dermanyssus gallinae, the poultry red mite, and Ornithonyssus bacoti, the rat mite. Both observed species of mites may be harmful to animals, as well as to people working in the shops or potential pet owners. This study discusses the possible origin of the parasites and their importance to human health.